Dr. Frakes on Late Toxicities in HPV-Associated Oropharynx Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Jessica Frakes, MD, assistant member, Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses some of the late toxicities seen in patients with HPV-positive oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma.

The most common toxicity reported in the current study was the requirement of a feeding tube. According to Frakes, patients at Moffitt Cancer Center are not prophylactically given feeding tubes, unless they have had significant weight loss pre-treatment.

Six patients had soft tissue necrosis of the skin or jaw, though 4 of those 6 patients had resolution once they received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Generally speaking, researchers are very aggressive when it comes to managing these late toxicities, says Frakes.